Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a new human herpesvirus (HHV8) believed to cause Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) 1,2!.
Kaposi's sarcoma is the most common neoplasm occurring in persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Approximately 15-20% of AIDS patients develop this neoplasm which rarely occurs in immunocompetent individuals. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that AIDS-associated KS (AIDS-KS) has an infectious etiology. Gay and bisexual AIDS patients are approximately twenty times more likely than hemophiliac AIDS patients to develop KS, and KS may be associated with specific sexual practices among gay men with AIDS. KS is uncommon among adult AIDS patients infected through heterosexual or parenteral HIV transmission, or among pediatric AIDS patients infected through vertical HIV transmission. Agents previously suspected of causing KS include cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B virus, human papillomavirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Mycoplasma penetrans. Non-infectious environmental agents, such as nitrite inhalants, also have been proposed to play a role in KS tumorigenesis. Extensive investigations, however, have not demonstrated an etiologic association between any of these agents and AIDS-KS.
Virion protein 26 (VP26) is a component of the nucleocapsid structure in most herpesviruses. This structure serves as a delivery mechanism for the viral genome as it is spread from one infected cell to another. As part of the original infecting virus, it is recognized as a major antigen by the immune system and can therefore be used to screen for antibodies to the herpesvirus in patient sera and as a vaccine.